Reversible latch assembly with turnable latch head



J. R. FOSTER Jan. 2, 1968 REVERSIBLE LATCH ASSEMBLY WITH TURNABLE LATCH HEAD Filed April 4, 1966 INVENTOR. (/0917 Jszer wmmwmm ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,361,464 REVERSIBLE LATCH ASSENIBLY WITH TURNABLE LATCH HEAD John R. Foster, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor to Von Dnprin, Inc., a corporation of Indiana Filed Apr. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 540,019 7 Claims. (Cl. 292245) The present invention relates to a latch assembly of the character which is intended to be received in a socket or recess in the edge of a door, and of such construction that it may be arranged for association selectively with a righthand opening door or with a lefthand opening door by mere rotational adjustment of its latch bolt head without opening its case to expose any of the operating parts of the assembly.

The primary object of the invention, then, is to provide a latch assembly so constructed and arranged as to include a reciprocating latch bolt whose head is cammed on one surface but is flat on its opposite surface, said head being adjustable, without exposure of any of the other operating parts of the assembly, to present its flat face in either of two positions substantially 180 removed from each other.

Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the forms illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

FIG. 1 is a vertical section through a latch assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view showing the case and face plate in assembled condition, showing the latch bolt head removed from the assembly and, in solid lines, in one selective position of orientation relative to its stem and in broken lines in its opposite position of orientation and showing the finish plate separated from the face plate;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a modified form of head and a fragment of stem; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the form of latch both illustrated in FIG. 3, parts being broken away for clarity of illustration.

While it will be apparent that the present invention is applicable to barrel type latch assemblies as well as to mortise type assemblies, it has been illustrated and will be described in the latter form. As shown, the assembly comprises a case consisting of a box-like portion 11 and a cover plate 12 adapted to be secured in place on the box 11 by means, for instance, of screws 13 to define a mechanism-enclosing chamber having one open edge 14. A face plate 15 is formed with lugs 16, 16 adapted to be received in the case through the open edge thereof and to be secured in closing relation to said open edge by any suitable fastening means such as screws 17, 17. The face plate projects oppositely beyond the boundaries of the case 10 and its projecting portions are preferably provided with holes 18 and 18 for the reception of screws (not shown) to be driven into the free edge of a door, securely to retain the case 10 within a conventional mortise therein.

Midway of its length, the face plate 15 is formed to provide an inwardly extending barrel 19 having a cylindrical guide surface 20 of significant axial extent. As is most clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, the diameter of the surface 20 exceeds the width of the face plate 15 and therefore the face plate and the barrel are cut away as at 21 at the opposite edges thereof.

3,361,464 Patented Jan. 2, 1968 A latch stem 22 is received in the case 10 coaxially with relation to the surface 20, the distal end of said stern being enlarged and exteriorly threaded as at 23. Bracket means 24 guides the proximal end of the stem 22 for axial reciprocation, and a stop 25, having an extension (not shown) guidingly received in a slot 26 in the floor of the box 11 is fixed to the proximal end of said stem for engagement by a conventional actuator lever 27 for retracting said stem.

The latch bolt head 28 is generally cylindrical upon a diameter substantially equal to that of the surface 20 for snug sliding reception in the barrel 19, but is formed with opposite chordal surfaces 29 and 30. At its proximal end, the head 28 is formed with a reduced neck 31 provided with a rearwardly opening, axial, interiorly threaded socket 32 for threaded reception of the distal enlargement 23 of the stem 22.

As is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the stem 22 is formed with a distal extension 33 providing a substantially diametral, horizontally disposed abutment surface 34. The head 28 is formed with a transaxial bore 35 opening through the chordal surface 29 and into the socket 32, said bore being threaded at least adjacent its outer end. A pin 36, threaded as at 37 at least near its outer end is receivable in the bore 35 to project into said socket 32.

It will be seen that the head 28 may be threaded onto the enlargement 23 of the stem 22 until the bore 35 comes into registry with the extension 33. Now, with the bore 35 in a horizontal position, the pin 36 may be threaded into the bore 35 until its inner end extends into the socket 32 to lie in abutment with the surface 34. If, at this time, the head 28 is in the position of orientation shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, it will be clear that said head may be freely turned in a counter-clockwise direction through whereupon the pin 36 will again engage the abutment surface 34, thus stopping the head 28 in the position of orientation illustrated in broken lines in FIG. 2. So long as the pin 36 remains in the bore 35 and extending into the socket 32, the head may be freely turned between the two illustrated positions of orientation, but not beyond either of those positions, without removing either the cover plate 12 or the face plate 15 from the box 11. It will be clear that, when the head is in either of those positions of orientation, the pin 36 will be accessible for retraction through one or the other of the cut-aways 21.

The assembly includes, as well, a finish plate 38 which is formed with screw holes 39, 39 which, when said finish plate is brought into face-to-face relation with the face plate 15, register with threaded bores 53, 53 in said face plate so that said finish plate may be secured in such position by means of screws 40, 40. The finish plate is formed with an aperture 41 therein, the opposite boundaries 42 and 43 of which are rectilinear for cooperation with the chordal surfaces 29 and 3d of the head 28 whereby said head will be retained against any turning movement so long as the finish plate is in place on the assembly.

Thus, whenever the assembly is complete, the head 28 will be retained in its selected position of orientation; but if it is desired to reverse the hand of the assembly, it is only necessary to remove the finish plate from the assembly, whereupon the head 28 may be turned, in one direction or the other, through 180 about the axis of the stem 22. The slight axial movement of the head 28 relative to the stem 22 resulting from 180 of rotation of the threaded coupling between the elements is insuflicient to produce any deleterious effect upon the assembly.

However, in FIGS. 3 and 4, I have illustrated an alternative structure in which no such relative axial movement occurs as a result of rotational adjustment. In this form of the invention, the step 44 is provided with a distal enlargement 45 and the head 46 is identical with the head 28 except that its socket 47 is not threaded but snugly receives the stem enlargement 45. Said stem enlargement 45 is formed with a peripheral groove 48, and the neck of the head 46 is provided with transaxial bores 49 and 50 so located as to register tangentially with the groove 48 when the head is assembled on the stem. Pins 51 and 52 are received respectively in the bores 49 and 50, and thus engage in the groove 48 to restrain the head 46 against axial movement relative to the stem 44 while permitting relative rotation between those parts.

- I claim as my invention:

1. A reversible latch assembly comprising a case having an open edge, a latch bolt structure comprising a stern guided for reciprocatory movement in said case toward and away from said edge and a head constrained to reciprocate with said stem, said head being generally circularcylindrical in transaxial section but having at least one chordal face, a face plate, means for removably securing. said face plate to said case in closing relation to said open edge, the inner surface of said face plate being formed to provide a cylindrical, inwardly extending barrel concentric with the axis of reciprocation of'said stem and receiving, supporting and guiding said head for such reciprocation and for turning movement about said axis, a finish plate, and means for removably securing said finish plate in overlying relation to the outer surface of said face plate, said finish plate being formed with an aperture registrable with said barrel but formed withopposite chordal boundaries selectively cooperative with the chordal face of said'bolt head when said finish plate is so secured to restrain said head against turning movement about said axis.

2. The assembly of claim 1 in which said head is mounted on said stem for turning movement relative to said stem about the axis of said stem.

3. The assembly of claim 2 in which the distal end of said stem is cylindrical and is exteriorly formed with a peripherally-extending groove and the proximal end of said head is formed with an axial socket snugly receiving said: stem distal end to enshroud said groove, said head proximal end being formed with a transverse bore regis tering with said groove when said stem end is so received said stem is exteriorly threaded and the proximal end of said head is formed with an interiorly threaded, axial socket receiving said stem end, and cooperating means on said head and stem limiting such relative turning movement to 5. The assembly of claim 4 in whichsaid means on said head is accessible for withdrawal from cooperative relation with said means on said stem while said face plate is' in such closing relation to said open case edge.

- 6. The assembly of claim 2 in which the distal end of said stem is exteriorly threaded and is formed to provide a distal extension defining a substantially diametral abutment, the proximal end of said head being formed with an interiorly threaded, axial socket receiving said stem end, said head further being formed with a radialbore opening into said socket, and a pin removably receivedjn said. bore and extending into said socket and into cooperative relation with said abutment to limit such relative turning movement to 180.

7. The assemblyv of claim 6 in which said bore is threaded and said pin is a screw threadedly received in said threaded bore;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 195,270 9/1877 Hall et al 292-244 x 346,349 7/1886 Biggs 292 244 1,126,180 1/1915 Cleaver 292-244 X 1,865,128 6/1932 McKinney 292 244- 2,062,766 12/1936 Schlage 292-244 2,516,991 8/1950 Heyer 292 244 1 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,039,879 9/1958 Germany.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner. 

1. A REVERSIBLE LATCH ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A CASE HAVING AN OPEN EDGE, A LATCH BOLT STRUCTURE COMPRISING A STEM GUIDED FOR RECIPROCATORY MOVEMENT IN SAID CASE TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID EDGE AND A HEAD CONSTRAINED TO RECIPROCATE WITH SAID STEM, SAID HEAD BEING GENERALLY CIRCULARCYLINDRICAL IN TRANSAXIAL SECTION BUT HAVING AT LEAST ONE CHORDAL FACE, A FACE PLATE, MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID FACE PLATE TO SAID CASE IN CLOSING RELATION TO SAID OPEN EDGE, THE INNER SURFACE OF SAID FACE PLATE BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE A CYLINDRICAL, INWARDLY EXTENDING BARREL CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF RECIPROCATION OF SAID STEM AND RECEIVING, SUPPORTING AND GUIDING SAID HEAD FOR SUCH RECIPROCATION AND FOR TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID AXIS, A FINISH PLATE, AND MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SECURING SAID FINISH PLATE IN OVERLYING RELATION TO THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID FACE PLATE, SAID FINISH PLATE BEING FORMED WITH AN APERTURE REGISTRABLE WITH SAID BARREL BUT FORMED WITH OPPOSITE CHORDAL BOUNDARIES SELECTIVELY COOPERATIVE WITH THE CHORDAL FACE OF SAID BOLT HEAD WHEN SAID FINISH PLATE IS SO SECURED TO RESTRAIN SAID HEAD AGAINST TURNING MOVEMENT ABOUT SAID AXIS. 